HDZ responds to Milanovic's statement about PM-designate

The ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party issued a statement on Sunday evening in response to the statement by the outgoing Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic that Prime Minister-designate Tihomir Oreskovic "won't be making decisions about anything and won't be asked anything".

"Caretaker Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic has said several times in recent days that Prime Minister-designate Tihomir Oreskovic won't be making decisions about anything and won't be asked anything. Tihomir Oreskovic is making more decisions and faster than Milanovic is even able to comprehend.

Even before becoming prime minister, the new prime minister-designate went to meet with foreign investors and convinced them of the seriousness of the measures that he intends to take, which Milanovic had failed to do for a full four years. Unfortunately, in Kitzbuehel Oreskovic also learned of the devastating results of Milanovic's rule over the last four years," the HDZ said.

"Milanovic now disparagingly refers to the business people with whom the prime minister-designate met as governors, and during his term in office Croatia had run up a debt of 100 billion kuna from these same 'governors', leaving our children and grandchildren in debt bondage from which the new government of Prime Minister-designate Tihomir Oreskovic now has to free us," it added.

The HDZ said that Milanovic did not enjoy any reputation abroad. "In international circles he was just a passer-by. Instead of him and his ministers going abroad to attract investors, improve the country's credit rating and encourage investment, over 100,000 young and educated people left Croatia in search of a better life," the statement concluded.

Beirut (dpa) - Syrian government forces and their allies advanced deeper into the shrinking rebel-held enclave in eastern Aleppo on Wednesday, seizing the Old City, while demanding the armed opposition groups leave the area.